Investing in technology to support skills and credentials in construction

“Workforce compliance in construction is going through a material shift. Recent regulatory changes have raised the standard for what good looks like, and contractors are now expected to demonstrate, with live, clear and auditable data, that everyone on a project is competent for the work they are doing. This is difficult to achieve in a sector built on complex supply chains, fragmented certification schemes, inconsistent record keeping and limited visibility of worker skills. For many firms, compliance is becoming both a risk and an operational burden.

Certchain, the most recent investment from Ufi Ventures, sits in the middle of this transition. The platform connects to more than 40 training and regulatory bodies and maps workers against thousands of role standards in real time. Employers can onboard, verify and continuously monitor the competence of their workforce and subcontractors, replacing manual checks with a more reliable and scalable process. For contractors facing tighter scrutiny and more formalised expectations around competence, this provides a clearer and more robust way to manage risk.

The impact on workers is equally significant. Certchain’s mobile app gives individuals a verified record of their qualifications and experience, which they can use across employers. It also surfaces any gaps between their current profile and the requirements of a role, making it clear where further training is needed. This is valuable in a sector where career pathways are often unclear and workers can struggle to understand how to progress. Both elements fit cleanly within Ufi Venture’s focus on improving access to learning and work.

Compliance and workforce development often sit in separate conversations, but here they reinforce each other: construction firms get the assurance they need to meet rising regulatory expectations, and workers gain a clearer route into skilled roles. Certchain is one of the few companies able to deliver this dual benefit at scale.

We have been impressed by the founding team’s depth of experience and their ability to deliver for large contractors at an early stage. As the sector moves towards more transparent and reliable standards of competence, we expect Certchain to become a key part of the compliance infrastructure that underpins the workforce.

We’re looking forward to working with Stephen, Sam and Hilde as they continue to build out the platform and support training, mobility and compliance across the industry.”